Paul Brown (left), outlines one of his favorite plays for Ohio State athletic director Lynn W. St. John in New York City. / AP Photo

The greatest coach in Ohio football history was born in Norwalk in 1908. His family moved to Massillon where he overcame his frail build to earn time at quarterback as a senior. He played college ball in Oxford, coached at that level in Columbus, and founded pro franchises in Cleveland and Cincinnati.

Interestingly, he was not a high school standout. His most memorable performance came in an 18-0 win over Toledo Woodward in 1925. Paul connected on 7 of 15 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. Boosted by his expanding role and filled with bravado, Brown once sent a teammate from the huddle to the sideline, instructing coach Dave Stewart to send back a substitute.

“He’s taken over the world,” the coach chuckled.

Brown tried to play football at Ohio State, but was deemed too small. He transferred to Miami of Ohio, and as a junior earned second-team All-Ohio Small College honors in 1928 while leading the Redskins to a 6-2 mark. He guided the club to a 7-2 record the following year, ending his playing career.

But his relationship with the sport was just beginning, and would become his life’s work.

He coached for two years at Severn Military Academy in Maryland before answering the call at his alma mater. Brown took the Massillon job in 1932. His first three teams were solid, but couldn’t get past nemesis Canton McKinley.

That would change while he was honing his craft. The Godfather of Ohio football was the first coach to implement classroom study and notebooks for players, using film to grade their performance as well as scouting the tendencies of opponents. He developed the pocket for his quarterback, designed patterns for his receivers, and shuttled in plays through messenger guards. His playbook included the trap block and draw; both designed to confuse defensive linemen.

Brown timed his youngsters in the 40-yard dash, too, figuring the distance of the average punt, and implemented a feeder system at the junior high level. He employed a pair of full-time assistant coaches, established a booster club and turned to the high school band for halftime shows, which included cheerleaders and a mascot. The various activities turned the local high school football game into a community event.

All were revolutionary concepts, and most live today.

“He brought a system into pro football,” said Hall of Fame coach Sid Gillman. “I always felt that before Paul Brown, coaches just rolled the ball out on the practice field.”

Massillon was selected mythical state titlists six straight times starting in 1935 and won national championships four times in those six years. By 1941, he was ready for a bigger stage, and found one when Ohio State fired Francis Schmidt.

Paul’s 1941 Buckeyes finished 6-1-1, highlighted by a 20-20 tie at undefeated and fifth-ranked Michigan. His 1942 team went 9-1 and captured the school’s first national championship.

The 1943 squad figured to be even better, but World War II robbed the Buckeyes, and Brown staggered through a losing season. He joined the war effort in 1944, and left campus for good.

“In my particular case (the war) broke up the vast dreams I had for a dynasty at OSU,” Brown wrote to Robin Priday, one of his players.

Brown coached the Great Lakes Naval Training Station football team during the war, and upon his discharge helped establish a fledgling pro franchise, the Cleveland Browns.

Among his biggest stars were Marion Motley and Bill Willis, a pair of Ohio men who helped shatter the color barrier in the sport. Quarterback Otto Graham was a key component too, and the Browns won all four championships in the short-lived All-Amerian Football Conference. When the league merged with the NFL, the titles continued. Cleveland captured the 1950 NFL championship. The Browns also won the 1954 and 1955 crowns.

Art Modell’s purchase of controlling interest in 1961 set him at odds with Brown. Finally, the owner fired the coach in January, 1963.

Brown was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967, and a year later jumped back into the sport. He became the coach, general manager, and eventually majority owner of the Cincinnati Bengals. In just their third year of existence, the Bengals won the 1970 Central Division title with an 8-6 record.

He won two division titles and reached the postseason three times before retiring from the sidelines for good after posting an 11-3 record in 1975. Brown stayed active with the franchise and watched the Bengals make it to a pair of Super Bowls following the 1981 and 1989 seasons.

He died of complications from pneumonia, Aug. 5, 1991, but his legacy lives on with two stadiums in Ohio named after him, one in Massillon, the other in Cincinnati.

“My satisfaction was proving my principals, proving that the same ideals that won in high school and college could win in professional ball,” Brown said.